A cermet that is a hard alloy containing Ti as a main component element is excellent in wear resistance and therefore has been suitably used for, for example, cutting tools and wear resistance tools.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 02-190438 (PTD 1) discloses a cermet for tools that includes 70 to 95 vol % of a hard dispersed phase and 5 to 30 vol % of a binder phase containing at least one iron group metal and that includes, as a composition structure, single phase particles, i.e., I particles, and II particles having a core portion and a peripheral portion.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-292842 (PTD 2) discloses a cermet that includes a hard phase and a binder phase, the hard phase including a first hard phase that has a core portion of titanium carbonitride and a peripheral portion of a complex carbonitride solid solution of at least one metal other than titanium and titanium, and a second hard phase containing a complex carbonitride solid solution of at least one metal other than titanium and titanium.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-131975 (PTD 3) discloses a cermet for saw blades that includes a binder phase containing iron group metals, mainly Co and Ni and a hard phase mainly containing a carbonitride of essential Ti and W and at least one other metal component, the hard phase having a core structure that includes a black core particle and a peripheral component.
WO 2010/008004 A (PTD 4) discloses a hard powder containing greater than or equal to 90 vol % of a complex carbonitride solid solution represented by (Ti1-x,Mx)(C1-y,Ny), a method of manufacturing the hard powder, and a sintered hard alloy consisting of a hard phase that contains the complex carbonitride solid solution represented by (Ti1-x,Mx)(C1-y,Ny) in an amount of greater than or equal to 90 vol % of the whole hard phase, and a binder phase.